Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Hi! Thanks for stopping by. I've switched blogging platforms, and unfortunately some past links don't bring you directly to my new site. I'm still working on getting my Bloglovin' feeds consolidated so if you are a Bloglovin' user, hold on tight for a bit. You can find the new site at:www.cedarsandtinyflowers.comSee you in a little bit!

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

And he is one. One! Cliché or not, my how time flies.We had a lovely, albeit busier than preferred, Sunday celebrating Conor's birthday. My parents drove up for the weekend, which was so kind of them. My mom cooked the whole weekend including lumpia, my favorite food. They had to leave around noon on Sunday so we decided to celebrate Conor's birthday with brunch and cake. I made chocolate chip pancakes, cheesy scrambled eggs and sausage. And as you would for a birthday in 2014, much of brunch was spent discussing who was going to be FaceTiming, Google hangouting and Skyping on which corresponding device. Then I deleted multiple apps off my phone in a mad dash to make enough space to video the happy birthday singing and Conor blowing out his candle Ryan blowing out Conor's candle. I had baked spice cake for all to enjoy including a little smash cake for the birthday boy, which sounds a lot fancier than it really was. I just poured enough batter (made from a box! Top knotch homemaker over here) into three tiny ramekins in addition to the regular cake pans, stacked them on top of each other and slathered on some buttercream. It was tilting over by the time for songs came along, but that just added to the cozy, rustic, homey, just-like-mama-made-it look, right? Right.As expected, Conor was happy we let him eat cake.

Wait ... so what's so exciting about this?

Still not impressed.

THIS is how you do it.

My sister was Skyping from CA, my brother and sister-in-law were FaceTiming from MD and Chris' brother and sister-in-law were Google hangouting from AZ. We had some technical difficulties with Chris' family in San Diego so we got to video chat with them later in the day :)

The rest of the day for Conor was spent napping, walking around our friends backyard at a pumpkin carving party and hanging out at home until I brought home one of his favorites - starts with a Ch and ends with -ipotle. Thank you for an amazing first year, Conor Daniel Harrington. You helped us grasp a better understanding how God is able to love all of us. Our heart didn't split between you and your brother; it grew and grew and grew. It's kind of crazy how much you put up with having such an opinionated and enthusiastically strong older brother, but you've got spunk yourself, kid. You also can be terribly dramatic, but hey you make up for it with your jolly good mood the rest of the time. Your current favorite activity is chasing the broom as I sweep and trying to get your curious hands on the pile just before it makes its way into the dustpan. You also love banging blocks on the top of the printer and computer. That needs to stop. What doesn't need to stop are your goofy pursed mouth smile, adorable clapping and animated conversations consisting of one syllables repeated over and over and over. We love being yours.Love,Your favorite family

Disclosure: I am part of the Netflix #StreamTeam so I will be writing one post a month about movies and shows that have made me happy to have in our family queue. To be totally forthcoming, I have been compensated with a streaming device and a one year streaming subscription to Netflix, but this is a service that I have used at minimum four times a week for the past four years (and at many points in the timeline, everyday) so you can say that I am definitely excited to be partnering with them. As I just mentioned, I've been utilizing Netflix Streaming for four years. It all started when I had to watch a movie for my French film class my last semester of college. The movie was available in the library which was all the way across campus, and I would have to hope no one else was watching the movie when I got there. My professor had noted in the syllabus that the movie was also available on Netflix so when comparing the pros and cons between signing up for a free one month trial with Netflix and trekking to the library, I quickly got myself a Netflix account and watched the film from the comfort of my own bed (and my dorm bed was actually very comfy thanks to an excellent mattress pad, but I digress).

Just me, Netflix, and my poor interior decorating skills, fall 2010

From then on, I pretty much have a Netflix movie or TV Series to go along with the memories of the past few years. I designed, stamped, addressed, and stuffed our wedding invitations while watching every romantic comedy Netflix had to offer. Our time in Chicago had Grey's Anatomy in the background whether I was writing one stack of 300 thank you notes, making dinner or folding laundry after work. I unpacked to Private Practice when we moved to South Bend. I watched Tangled way too many times for an adult to be able to during its stint on Netflix. The summer when Ryan was a baby, my brother-in-law put Cheers on everyday he got home from class. Downton Abbey in two days two winters ago. And don't get me started on 24! Anyway, last fall was no different; I had a Netflix soundtrack, if you will, yet again, and it turned into a makeshift birth prep cheerleader. I mentioned in my last post and here that even though I had already gone through labor and delivery with Ryan, I was still pretty nervous for our second because 1) I KNEW how much it hurt and 2) what if the first time was a fluke? I planned on reading the Bradley book again as a refresher, but other than that, I had no other plans to up my confidence even though I needed it. Here is how Netflix helped me via a British television series.

Call the Midwife.One day, I read somewhere that if I liked Downton Abbey, I would love Call the Midwife. As luck would have, I saw it pop up in the Netflix New Releases one day when I was flipping through. The BBC series is based on the memoirs of a nurse midwife in the East End of London in the 1950s. It follows a group of nurse midwives based out of a nursing convent as they tend to one of the poorest parts of London both when mothers are giving birth and when the neighborhood's residents are ill. The series is not always happy, but there is a sense of optimism throughout the times of heartbreak; maybe it comes with the territory of new life. Chris does say, "If you were to hear Call the Midwife from another room, it would be the least relaxing mix - babies crying, women screaming and my wife crying from watching it," but I found it fascinating and confidence building. The history in itself is interesting, but seeing women give birth in all kinds of circumstances was incredibly motivating. I'd think, if she could give birth in a shack full of fish, I can give birth again in my sanitary hospital. If she could give birth aboard a ship, I can so do it in a spacious labor and delivery room. The third season has been up for a bit, and I'm finally rewarding myself by starting the third season. I highly suggest it!Other films that helped me prepare and that are only available through Netflix DVD:The Business of Being Born: this is an extremely biased documentary, but it did provide some food for thought and prompted me to do much more research about our options. BABIES: this documentary follow four babies and their mothers who are each in completely different environments and cultures. It is not an incredibly active piece, but I enjoyed it because it calmed me down about pending parenthood. The babies were happy and healthy whether they were in Mongolia, Japan, Namibia or San Francisco. Any other Call the Midwife fans out there?

Do you have any genres you would like to hear about during the #StreamTeam series?

Friday, October 24, 2014

I have a pretty good memory. It could almost be called uncanny, but the number of times a day I search for my keys keeps its ego in check. I don't forget much, but I'm grateful for the universal ability of mothers to be forgetful of one very specific and monumental thing - birth and the time soon after.

Following his birth, Ryan was going to be an only child. That long list of baby names I had at the ready for our passel of future children was now useless. Maybe we could use it on pets down the road. I couldn't do it again. Sure, he was worth it. Father, mother and son, we fit. Yes, we fit well together. Still, the scent of his new life was only addictive to a point; it was as calming and heavenly as it could be, but it lacked mind-wiping powers. I couldn't do it again. I operated in a blur of shock, a blur dotted with many adorable moments, but a blur of memories that made me feel like a deer in headlights. It was too much. It being the lack of progressing, the three hours of pushing, the ring of fire, the stitching up as little as I needed to be stitched, the starting the marathon of parenting at 4:58am immediately upon crossing the finish line of the marathon that is birth, the stinging and painful recovery, the tick I was close to developing if my peri bottle weren't near, the fear of the going to the bathroom, the process of peri bottle, patting ever so slightly, but never delicately enough, pad change, numbing spray, tucks pads, the waddling back to bed, the burning each time after he latched, the contractions that ripped through my back while we nursed, the cluster feeding, the distaste for any clothing or bra because my nipples were sore and raw, the terror of imagining I wouldn't be able to find that precious tube of lanolin, the sharp tingly let down, the swing of hormones, the severe engorgement with no relief, the lying down on the floor next to our closet with white noise roaring from our bathroom vent each night, the overwhelming and overheated feeling when nursing a fussy baby around other people, the watching your poor baby being stuck over and over by an inexperienced ER nurse at six days old, the keeping vigil under the bilirubin lights, the feeling tremendous guilt and sadness from learning at two weeks that he had been suffering from a broken collarbone from birth, the hurting from the clogged duct from Hades and more and more and more. That was it. And that was it. New motherhood was raw. I needed some time to stew. Three months later, he was maybe going to be an only child. Six months later, the baby fever had taken over. Excellent job, mother forgetfulness. That Sunday when I was sick, when our child that wasn't going to be was tucked in against me, I realized that I was very happy we hadn't used the name Conor on a pet.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Okay make that birthday wish list for a one year old's mother ;) Or it could be called: what my kids try to sneak home from their friends' houses. Or it could be called: what won't end up in the donation pile.

My brother, Conor's godfather, asked me a bit ago what to get Conor for his birthday. I answered with books! because we can never have enough good books. We'll give Conor an extra bath and some streamers on his birthday, but we aren't going to buy him any presents because ... he is one. Maybe we are weird. Sorry, boys, maybe you drew the short end of the stick on this one! But, just because we aren't going to buy anything ourselves doesn't mean that we don't thankfully accept gifts from doting grandparents and the like. I rounded up a bunch of quality items that my boys always make a bee line for at other people's houses starting around this age. I could make this whole thing books, but I will refrain for another day. Here is a budget-friendly list of classic toys + regular items that the baby will love, should last for the long haul and that won't make the you recoil at the thought of the annoying noises that will plague you post-birthday.

4) EverEarth Jr. Size Ramp Race. It pretty fun to watch the baby's eyes go back and forth, back and forth as the little wooden cars race down.5) Plan Toy Push Toy. Another one for exercise. Tire those babies out!Items You Probably Already Have 1) Solo Cups. Right? Baby's favorite.2) Water bottles, plastic or metal.3) Measuring cups and spoons. If you get sick of having to counting how many 1/3 cups you added to your cooking because some cute baby snagged your 1 cup, just find a set for the baby at a garage sale or thrift store. 4) Sunglasses. It's nice that it seems that giving away free, cheap sunglasses at events to be a thing because we somehow have many pairs Ryan and Conor can wear/break without a care. 5) Empty wipes containers. Conor has been trying to push things into the wipes slot, but you can also fill it with scraps of fabric so your baby can pull them out. You can normally find any of these toys at a local consignment shop so check there first before buying new! Last note - make sure you keep the boxes because we know those are really the golden ticket to those babies' hearts. So tell me, what other items that aren't even toys are great for you? What toy has been a hit? I originally intended to just list five toys, but then it grew and grew. But the sets of five still make it eligible for Five Favorites, right? Go see Jenna for more!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Another day, another post with WEAVES, I mean LEAVES. But, hey this is what we've got! We may have a dreary perma-cloud in the long, long winter, we may not have awesome waterfalls to jump off of (I can only imagine the competitions that would have ensued if all the Harrington boys were there with my brother-in-law), but we have weaves. Lots of weaves.

When I posted the cross stitch pattern that I stitched last fall, Bonnie had sharp and flattering eyes and asked if I could share the pattern for the the silverware cross stitch that was also hanging on the wall. Here you go, Bonnie! I hope this helps someone out there who needs a pick me up for their kitchen or dining room or needs an easy homemade gift idea. Go forth and stitch.

Okay I wrote half of these Sunday night and half today during a heavenly simultaneous nap by the boys so I'm sorry if this is a bit confusing. Concerning that glorious nap --> see my feeling one down below: God provides.

I'm ...

Making: a crochet pattern for this hat as prompted by Camille and Tiffany. Hopefully I don't mess it up because the last time I made a pattern was probably for a 4-H project when I was 14 or so.

Drinking: not enough of anything. Reading: (rereading) Pride and Prejudice for my book club. It's been a few years since I read it last, and I loved it so. I'm happy I have a little nudge to turn the pages in it again.Wanting: to look up spoilers for the rest of this season of The Walking Dead, but I'm resisting. Listening: to Shake It Off, surprise, surprise! Actually, tonight Chris took Conor to play with so I could make dinner without a clumsy assistant obsessed with emptying the cupboards. Before he left to go to the other room, he turned on the Taylor Swift channel on Grooveshark. I felt the love. Listening, part ii: a neighbor's dog that will not stop barking. It's kind of cute - just don't wake up the nappers. Eating: my poor attempt at beer-battered french fries. They taste decent, but their appearance leaves something to be desired. Smelling: the leftover smell of frying oil from the french fries which is why I don't like frying things normally. Ha it isn't the unhealthiness of it that keeps me away, it's the lingering scent. And the mess! Poor Chris, this keeps me from making his favorite sopapillas often. I like to boil cinnamon or lemons to make the smell go away since I never really have candles around (I know! What's wrong with me? I guess, I never spend money on candles). Do you have any oil-be-gone tricks? Enjoying: watching Chris enjoy grad school. He is the bomb. And he laughs when I say something or someone is the bomb.Loving: the baby sounds that come out of Conor's mouth. I can only describe them as pure joy. The little ones when he goes, "tdah! tdah! tdah!" or "Oh-ooo! Oh-ooo!" Or our latest Fighting Irish feat - stick his index finger up in the air while saying, "Idish! I-is! I-is!" If you heard it, you would think, "WOW, that really is a stretch," but hey, we are his parents and he was baptized in the Log Chapel so give our brainwashed/brainwashing hearts a break.Hoping: we win out after Saturday's heartbreaking, and I mean HEARTBREAKING loss. This is the most pain I've felt after a loss ever ... and my class has the most losses out of any other in the school's history! I balance out my grandpa - they never lost a game when he attended. Feeling: thankful. God provides. Wearing: the same shirt I wore yesterday and the pajamas pants I slept in. They are actually the pajama pants I wore the night before our wedding. I'm weird and wanted to be able to say, "A girl can't get married in flannel!" so I found the perfect white with blue roses pair. Name that movie.Noticing: the endless amount of I'll-get-to-it-later stacks that I really need to get to. Bookmarking: people talking about making elderberry syrup. I really wanted to make it, but, I just checked and it seems looks like the Amazon provider saw that every mom blog wanted some elderberries and the ONE bag left is $350. There goes that! There is the end of nap time cry. Tell me what you are up to!